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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spring — the season
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — after costs
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lean — to bend
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spring — of water
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com